17. The Statement of Ownership will be printed in the Fall 2017 issue of this publication.
18. James P. Sacks, Editor

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on
this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/
or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation

Retired committee has four seats open

Four members of the Retired Members Committee will be lected by Statewide Retired
District delegates to the 2018 MTA
Annual Meeting in May.

Go to massteacher.org/nomformor see the November/December issueof the MTA Reporter for details andthe self-nomination form for thesepositions. The deadline for nominationsis March 2, 2018. Terms last two yearsand begin on July 1.

amended or added language. Enclose
in parentheses language to be deleted.

Indicate the location of completely
new language.

3. Accompany each proposed
amendment with a written rationale on
its purpose, impact and intent.

4. Include at the end of all
proposals the submitter’s name and
local association information.

Individual MTA members, groups
of members and local associations
are eligible to submit proposed
amendments to the MTA Bylaws and
Standing Rules.

Members wishing to use an
official title representing an MTA

affiliate or committee are required tosubmit evidence that a vote was takenby authorized representatives of theaffiliate or the committee.

Current document: A copy of
the current document containing the
MTA Bylaws, Standing Rules and
Resolutions is available to any member
upon request.

Assistance: The Bylaws and
Rules Committee and members of
the MTA staff are available to discuss
ideas for potential amendments and to
provide technical assistance.

Inquiries and proposals submitted
to the Bylaws and Rules Committee
should be channeled through
Mary Gilgallon, MTA Director of
Governance and Administration.
Her mailing address is MTA, 2
Heritage Drive, 8th Floor, Quincy,
MA 02171-2119. Her phone number
is 617.878.8213, her fax number is
617.570.4908, and her e-mail address
is mgilgallon@massteacher.org.

Guidelines for Bylaws and Rules amendments

Continued from Page 19

Election waiver

If the number of candidates is equal to or less
than the number of positions to be filled, elections
may be waived and the candidates declared
elected to the positions in question.

“You have to prioritize all that is being asked ofyou,” said Keane, a member of the Harvard TeachersAssociation. “There’s more to it than planninglessons and being in front of the kids.”Bell, of the Quincy Education Association,reassured the early-career teachers.

“It gets better,” she said, adding that as educators
become familiar with the curriculum, they have more
time and ability to get to know their students.

Roberge, a member of the Wareham Education
Association, shared her story of transitioning from
paraeducator to classroom teacher, and she talked
about the challenge of self-assessment.

“You want to be reflective, not critical,” shesaid. “Not every lesson will work perfectly, but youlearn to adjust and improve.”Reiber, of the Hanover Teachers’ Association,told participants that as professionals, they have agreat deal of influence. “Your influence is felt onstudents, parents and your colleagues,” he said. “Thatpower grows over time, and you have to rememberthat you make a difference in people’s lives.”New Member Committee Chair Erinne Silverspoke during the lunch break, reflecting on the yearsince the last Just for New Teachers conferencewas held — less than two weeks after the 2016election. Before that election, she said, she wasmore concerned about the fate of Question 2, aMassachusetts ballot initiative that sought to liftthe cap on charter schools, than she was about theoutcome of the presidential election.

President Donald Trump’s unexpected victory
— and the resulting attempts by his administration
to undermine unions and promote more privatization
of public education — present significant challenges,
Silver said.

“What can we do as teachers? We need to think
about our involvement in the MTA and to think about
where our schools would be, and where we would be
as a country, without our unions,” she said.

Silver urged the JFNT attendees not to miss out
on the value of simply talking to each other and to
the ESPs who were on hand.